22 days in Madrid, Switzerland & Strasbourg Itinerary

Madrid is known for its cultural and artistic heritage, lively nightlife, and a dynamic culinary scene.

Start off your visit on the 16th (Fri): steep yourself in history at Plaza Mayor and then explore the world behind art at Prado National Museum.

To see other places to visit, photos, and more tourist information, you can read our Madrid itinerary maker app.

Guadalajara, Mexico to Madrid is an approximately 16-hour flight. Traveling from Guadalajara to Madrid, you'll lose 7 hours due to the time zone difference. While traveling from Guadalajara, expect cooler days and little chillier nights in Madrid, ranging from highs of 14°C to lows of 3°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 16th (Fri) to allow enough time to fly to Zurich.

The financial hub of Switzerland, Zurich is most often associated with money and banks.

You've now added Lindt Home of Chocolate to your itinerary. On the 17th (Sat), examine the collection at Lindt Home of Chocolate and then learn about wildlife with up-close encounters at Zoo Zurich.

For maps, where to stay, photos, and more tourist information, you can read our Zurich trip planner.

Fly from Madrid to Zurich in 5.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or drive. In December, Zurich is slightly colder than Madrid - with highs of 5°C and lows of -1°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 17th (Sat) to allow time to drive to Gruyeres.

The small medieval town of Gruyères sits at the base of two foothill peaks with a saddle suspended between them.

Your day by day itinerary now includes La Maison du Gruyere. Kick off your visit on the 18th (Sun): learn the secrets of production at La Maison du Gruyere, then explore the historical opulence of Gruyeres Castle, and then contemplate in the serene atmosphere at Cathedrale St-Nicolas.

For maps, more things to do, traveler tips, and other tourist information, refer to the Gruyeres online trip builder.

Getting from Zurich to Gruyeres by car takes about 2.5 hours. Other options: take a train; or take a bus. In December, daytime highs in Gruyeres are 5°C, while nighttime lows are -1°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 18th (Sun) to allow enough time to drive to Montreux.

Mostly known for its world-renowned jazz festival, Montreux serves as a picturesque lakeside resort town on the Swiss Riviera.

Get ready for a full day of sightseeing on the next day: take in the awesome beauty at Rochers-de-Naye, then explore the historical opulence of Chateau de Chillon, then go for a walk through Montreux Lakeside, and finally pause for some photo ops at Freddie Mercury Statue.

To see ratings, where to stay, other places to visit, and more tourist information, refer to the Montreux road trip app.

You can drive from Gruyeres to Montreux in an hour. Other options are to take a train; or take a bus. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 20th (Tue) early enough to drive to Vevey.

Vevey is a town in Switzerland in the canton Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne.It was the seat of the district of the same name until 2006, and is now part of the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut District. To find maps, other places to visit, photos, and other tourist information, read our Vevey online trip itinerary maker.

Vevey is very close to Montreux. You'll set off for Zermatt on the 21st (Wed).

Best known as home the Matterhorn mountain, Zermatt serves as a chic ski resort town of the Swiss Alps.

Kick off your visit on the 21st (Wed): take in panoramic vistas at Gornergrat, look for gifts at Lindt Chocolate Shop Zermatt, then stroll the grounds of Mountaineers' Cemetery, and finally make a trip to Matterhorn Museum - Zermatlantis.

For where to stay, maps, traveler tips, and tourist information, go to the Zermatt trip planner.

Getting from Vevey to Zermatt by car takes about 2.5 hours. Other options: take a train; or do a combination of bus and train. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 21st (Wed) to allow time to drive to St. Gallen.

The heart of eastern Switzerland, St.

Start off your visit on the 22nd (Thu): make a splash at Santispark, learn about wildlife with up-close encounters at Walter Zoo, then take a stroll around Pfalzkeller, and finally take in the architecture and atmosphere at Kathedrale St.Gallen.

To find photos, maps, reviews, and other tourist information, refer to the St. Gallen trip planner.

Traveling by car from Zermatt to St. Gallen takes 5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or do a combination of train and bus. In December, daytime highs in St. Gallen are 5°C, while nighttime lows are -1°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 22nd (Thu) to allow enough time to drive to Basel.

Situated where the Swiss, German, and French borders meet, Basel is considered the hub of Dreilandereck, this "three countries corner." Its location makes Basel a center of culture and history, brimming with important theaters and museums.

On the 23rd (Fri), don't miss a visit to Town Hall, don't miss a visit to Carolingian Outer Crypt, then pause for some serene contemplation at Basel Minster, then admire the local landmark of Tinguely Fountain, and finally visit Basel's Old Town.

To see maps, more things to do, photos, and tourist information, go to the Basel holiday builder site.

Traveling by car from St. Gallen to Basel takes 2 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or take a bus. December in Basel sees daily highs of 7°C and lows of 0°C at night. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 23rd (Fri) early enough to drive to Zurich.

Your day by day itinerary now includes Lindt Home of Chocolate, Zoological Museum and Zurcher Spielzeugmuseum. On the 24th (Sat), take a stroll through Old Town, see the interesting displays at Zoological Museum, then learn more about the world around you at Musee Paleontologique de Zurich, and finally browse the different shops at Hauptbahnhof. On the next day, stroll around Park im Gruene, then examine the collection at Lindt Home of Chocolate, then examine the collection at Zurcher Spielzeugmuseum, and finally get a taste of the local shopping with Bahnhofstrasse.

To see traveler tips, ratings, maps, and tourist information, read Zurich day trip planning site.

Traveling by car from Basel to Zurich takes 1.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or take a bus. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 25th (Sun) so you can go by car to Lucerne.

In north-central Switzerland, Lucerne represents a small city boasting a well-preserved old town.

Start off your visit on the 26th (Mon): look for all kinds of wild species at Mt Pilatus, pause for some photo ops at Lion Monument, then contemplate the waterfront views at Lake Lucerne, then admire the local landmark of Fontaine du Banneret, and finally take in the views from Chapel Bridge.

For photos, ratings, where to stay, and other tourist information, you can read our Lucerne trip itinerary builder app.

You can drive from Zurich to Lucerne in an hour. Alternatively, you can take a train; or take a bus. In December, daily temperatures in Lucerne can reach 5°C, while at night they dip to -1°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 26th (Mon) to allow time to drive to Bern.

The capital and political center of Switzerland, Bern sits on a peninsula formed by the U-shaped River Aare.

You've now added Barenpark to your itinerary. Start off your visit on the 27th (Tue): identify plant and animal life at Barenpark, take some stellar pictures from The Cathedral of Bern, take in nature's colorful creations at Rose Garden (Rosengarten), take a stroll through UNESCO-Altstadt von Bern, then get curious at Einstein House (Einsteinhaus), and finally ponder the design of Zahringerbrunnen.

To see traveler tips, other places to visit, where to stay, and other tourist information, refer to the Bern journey planner.

Traveling by car from Lucerne to Bern takes 1.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or take a bus. In December, daily temperatures in Bern can reach 5°C, while at night they dip to -3°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 27th (Tue) early enough to go by car to Engelberg.

Engelberg offers outdoor activities for a variety of skill levels and remains much less well-known than other Swiss resorts.

Start off your visit on the 28th (Wed): take in the views from Titlis Cliff Walk.

For ratings, maps, other places to visit, and other tourist information, you can read our Engelberg visit planner.

You can drive from Bern to Engelberg in 2 hours. Other options are to take a train; or do a combination of bus and train. In December, daily temperatures in Engelberg can reach 5°C, while at night they dip to -1°C. Wrap up your sightseeing by early afternoon on the 28th (Wed) to allow time for travel to Stoos.

Kick off your visit on the 29th (Thu): stroll through Fronalpstock, then look for gifts at Swiss Knife Valley Visitor Center, then contemplate the long history of Forum of Swiss History Schwyz, and finally appreciate the history behind Wilhelm Tell Monument.

To see traveler tips, ratings, maps, and other tourist information, read Stoos trip itinerary planner.

Explore your travel options from Engelberg to Stoos with the Route module. December in Stoos sees daily highs of 5°C and lows of -1°C at night. Cap off your sightseeing on the 29th (Thu) early enough to go by car to Zurich.

You've now added Zoological Museum to your itinerary. Start off your visit on the 30th (Fri): admire the masterpieces at Museum Rietberg, then get engrossed in the history at Landesmuseum, and then indulge in some personalized pampering at some of the best spas. Get ready for a full day of sightseeing on the 31st (Sat): see the interesting displays at Zoological Museum and then engage your brain at Swiss Science Center Technorama.

To see other places to visit, maps, photos, and more tourist information, use the Zurich trip planner.

You can drive from Stoos to Zurich in 1.5 hours. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 31st (Sat) early enough to drive to Lenzerheide.

Lenzerheide is a mountain resort in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland at the foot of the Parpaner Rothorn. Start off your visit on the 1st (Sun): take your sightseeing to a higher altitude at Parpaner Rothorn, then get outside with Globi Wanderweg, then take a stroll through Old Town Chur, and finally explore the historical opulence of Castle Haldenstein.

Inspirock's itinerary builder makes planning a Lenzerheide trip simple and quick.

Traveling by car from Zurich to Lenzerheide takes 2 hours. In January, Lenzerheide is slightly colder than Zurich - with highs of 1°C and lows of -7°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 1st (Sun) so you can drive to Strasbourg.

Strasbourg is famous for its beautiful historical center, the Grande Île, which was the first city center classified entirely as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Strasbourg is one of the nine largest cities in France with nearly half a million inhabitants in the metropolitan area crossing the river to the German city of Kehl, on the eastern bank of the Rhine River.

Here are some ideas for day two: admire the striking features of Place Kleber, then take in the spiritual surroundings of Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg, then ponder the world of politics at European Parliament Strasbourg, and finally admire the landmark architecture of Gare de Strasbourg.

To find ratings, traveler tips, where to stay, and other tourist information, use the Strasbourg road trip planning tool.

You can drive from Lenzerheide to Strasbourg in 4 hours. Alternatively, you can drive. Expect somewhat warmer temperatures when traveling from Lenzerheide in January; daily highs in Strasbourg reach 6°C and lows reach 0°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 3rd (Tue) to allow time to fly to Madrid.

On the 4th (Wed), admire the masterpieces at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, then admire the striking features of Royal Palace of Madrid, then don't miss a visit to Puerta del Sol, and finally wander the streets of Gran Via.

To see where to stay, maps, and other tourist information, go to the Madrid trip itinerary planning site.

You can fly from Strasbourg to Madrid in 5.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or drive. Traveling from Strasbourg in January, you will find days in Madrid are a bit warmer (12°C), and nights are about the same (2°C). Finish your sightseeing early on the 4th (Wed) so you can fly back home.